| TO: | Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services |
| FROM: | John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB490 by Shapleigh (Relating to developing and coordinating certain agency services and activities involving mental health care for young children.), As Introduced |
The bill would require the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation (TDMHMR) and the Interagency Council on Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) to jointly develop a continuum of care for kids 0 through 6 years of age who have mental illness and develop a plan to increase service providers' expertise. It also requires coordination of activities and services for children with mental illness. TDMHMR and ECI signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in September 2002, which includes these same objectives. No significant fiscal impact is anticipated as TDMHMR and ECI are currently planning, coordinating, and implementing activities that would be required by the bill.
TDMHMR included an increased cost estimate based on an assumption of serving more children. However, the bill describes development of a plan and the existing MOU requires services to be provided as resources permit.
| Source Agencies: | 532 Interagency Council on Early Childhood Intervention, 655 Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation
|
| LBB Staff: | JK, EB, KF, MB
|